Statement of Decision; When

Required (a) The judicial authority shall state its decision either orally or in writing, in all of the following: (1) in rendering judgments in trials to the court in civil and criminal matters, including rulings regard- ing motions for stay of execution, (2) in ruling on aggravating and mitigating factors in capital penalty hearings conducted to the court, (3) in ruling on motions to dismiss under Sections 41-8 through 41-11, (4) in ruling on motions to suppress under Sections 41-12 through 41-17, (5) in grant- ing a motion to set aside a verdict under Sections 16-35 through 16-38, and (6) in making any other rulings that constitute a final judgment for pur- poses of appeal under General Statutes § 52-263, including those that do not terminate the proceed- ings. The judicial authority’s decision shall encom- pass its conclusion as to each claim of law raised by the parties and the factual basis therefor. If oral, the decision shall be recorded by an official court reporter or court recording monitor and, if there is an appeal, the trial judge shall create a memorandum of decision for use in the appeal by ordering a transcript of the portion of the proceed- ings in which it stated its oral decision. The tran- script of the decision shall be signed by the trial judge and filed in the trial court clerk’s office. This section does not apply in small claims actions and to matters listed in subsection (b). (b) In any uncontested matter where no aspect of the matter is in dispute, in a pendente lite family relations matter whether contested or uncontested, or in any dismissal under Section 14-3, the oral or written decision as provided in subsection (a) is not required, except as provided in subsection (c). The clerk of the trial court shall, however, promptly notify the trial judge of the filing of the appeal. (c) Within twenty days from the filing of an appeal from a contested pendente lite order or from a dismissal under Section 14-3 in which an oral or written decision has not been made pursu- ant to subsection (b), each party to the appeal shall file a brief with the trial court discussing the legal and factual issues in the matter. Within twenty days after the briefs have been filed by the parties, the judicial authority shall file a written memorandum of decision stating the factual basis for its decision on the issues in the matter and its conclusion as to each claim of law raised by the parties. (P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 334A.) (Amended June 28, 1999, to take effect Jan. 1, 2000; amended June 26, 2020, to take effect Jan. 1, 2021.)